Solid-Liquid Interface-driven Microstructural Evolution
Liquid Metal Embrittlement (LME) is a phenomenon in which a typically ductile solid metal becomes brittle or otherwise weakened in a particular liquid metal environment. Despite millennia of documented observation and over a century of active investigation, the underlying mechanisms of LME remain poorly understood. As liquid metals have found increased interest in the fields of microelectronics and nuclear fusion, it is more important than ever to be able to predict LME in critical environments. This project seeks to untangle the complex web of microstructural interactions and evolutions seen in various systems in order to predict the destructive (and sometimes beneficial) effects of liquid metals.
Research Activities: Polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), Thermo-Calc, and a whole lot of putting liquid metals on solid metals
Current Group Members Involved: June Mizak